After a recent surge in violence near Georgia State University, including the tragic death of a 21-year-old last weekend, fed-up students have launched an online platform called Outspoken GSU. The site aims to empower students to share safety concerns and demand action from school officials. Founders Masada Combs and Jennifer Okwudili are determined to make a difference, with Combs declaring, "This was kind of like the last straw for us. We just want to be able to put our foot down and create this initiative to make sure this frequent strain of activities doesn't continue to happen," according to a FOX 5 Atlanta report.
In response to the latest shooting outside the RaceTrac gas station on Piedmont Avenue — not an isolated incident but one of several within the past year — students have taken to Outspoken GSU to voice their frustrations and call for enhanced campus security measures. The platform provides an avenue for students to effectively band together and push to ensure something is done to address these violent acts. According to a Channel 2 Action News piece, Okwudili expressed a clear objective: "We want to be able to press safety and make sure that there are no more shootings on this campus, there are no more violent activities happening on this campus."
Despite recent efforts by GSU officials to ramp up security — with measures including the increase of officers monitoring cameras, reorientation of building accesses, and installation of additional lighting and call boxes — students like Combs feel these steps are inadequate. "It showed a little bit of mobility as far as monitoring the activity that's been going on, but I feel like these changes aren't enough. We feel like we need a lot more presence, a lot more security force, a lot more police presence," Combs told FOX 5 Atlanta.
As the campus reels from the shock of the repeated violent incidents, including a recent episode in December 2023 where two people were shot on campus, leaving one dead, the Race Trac corporate office made the decision to indefinitely close the Piedmont location due to safety concerns. GSU leadership has cited a $3 Million investment into security infrastructure, yet students are advocating to virtually see a more tangible impact on their day-to-day safety. "Many students wanted the Race Trac to shut down, or they wanted the school to do something about it. Over the years, it just got worse," Okwudili noted in the Channel 2 Action News interview.
In an environment where academic pursuits should take precedence, GSU students are being forced into a relentless battle for a basic sense of security. Outspoken GSU stands as a testament to their resilience and a potent reminder that the right to learn should never be overshadowed by the fear of violence.
